Farm Girl's Manor
Chapter 418 Vigilance (2)_1

Chapter 418: Chapter 418 Vigilance (2)_1

Mrs. Du, his former wife, the mother of his three children. That woman had eloped with someone years ago; at first, he indeed felt extremely embarrassed, hating her for not considering their marital bond and even the children they shared. Despite this, he still didn’t want the children to grow up harboring hatred towards their mother at such a young age; it would do them no good.

Therefore, even though there was much gossip in the village, he never spoke ill of Mrs. Du in front of the children. In fact, before she left, Mrs. Du was indeed good to the three children, fulfilling her responsibilities as a mother, and he couldn’t deny that fact out of spite.

Later on, as he gradually came to understand his cousins-in-law, his resentment towards Mrs. Du slowly dissipated. If he hadn’t been so obsessed with the imperial examination, staying in town all year round and neglecting the grievances endured by his wife and children, perhaps Mrs. Du wouldn’t have eloped, abandoning her husband and children.

As a husband, he couldn’t shelter his wife and children from hardships, and since they suffered so much, he had no right to blame Mrs. Du for leaving him and the children, forsaking their little family.

He no longer felt hatred in his heart, but deep down, he didn’t want to see Mrs. Du again; he preferred to act as if she had never existed. But he never imagined he would actually encounter her in Jing City, even with the man she had run away with.

Their family of four had finally settled into a peaceful life, and he didn’t want to stir up any waves. Encountering these two people, he could only quietly dodge them, pretending he had never seen them, nor had he thought about letting the children know. But now his daughter had grown suspicious—how was he to explain all this to her?

The pained and troubled expression on her father’s face only made Mo Yan more puzzled. Who exactly had he met that could elicit such a reaction from him? Not wanting to pressure her father, she promptly stepped forward and hugged Mo Qingze’s arm, consoling him, "Dad, your daughter was just asking casually. If you don’t wish to talk about it, that’s fine. As long as no one is causing you trouble, there’s nothing for your daughter to worry about."

Mo Qingze was still conflicted about whether to reveal the truth, and his daughter’s words brought him both comfort and emotion, along with a deep sense of guilt. If he hadn’t been so foolish, his children wouldn’t be motherless, subjected to the ridicule of others...

Mo Yan was unaware of her father’s complex inner turmoil; seeing him breathe a sigh of relief as if unburdened by a heavy weight, although she felt like there was a little cat scratching at her heart, she didn’t dare to pry any further.

Hence, both the father and daughter had seen Mrs. Du, but neither wished to disclose this matter to the family, which later led to another unexpected encounter, under such circumstances, that caught everyone off guard...

The village regulations had been established, and Yang Bao couldn’t wait to gather the villagers of Liu Yang Village in his courtyard to announce them one by one, providing explanations for each.

Ancient people had a strong sense of clan, and although most of the villagers of Liu Yang Village were refugees who had severed ties with their original clans, they had been subject to clan regulations before. Now that Yang Bao had introduced village regulations, the villagers weren’t taken aback—they wouldn’t differentiate much between clan and village rules, which weren’t designed to restrain any one individual. With regulations in place, the honest and upright villagers actually felt that their interests were better protected, and life in Liu Yang Village would be more secure.

However, when Yang Bao solemnly recounted Wang Dali and the others’ misdeeds in front of everyone and announced the corresponding punishments, the villagers were shocked, and Wang Dali and his associates wailed loudly, claiming they were wronged.

But their wrongdoings were already well known to everyone, so their cries of injustice were ignored. Most people understood that the village chief was setting an example to deter others. Although they murmured in their hearts that the village chief was severe, no one spoke in defense of Wang Dali and the others, who were clearly reaping what they had sown.

Thus, the punishment of Wang Dali being expelled from the village and a dozen others sentenced to half a month of hard labor for the Mo Family became an unchangeable decree.

...

Jing City had been blanketed with snow for half a month, and when it finally ceased, people who hadn’t yet prepared for the New Year’s festivities, clutching their silver, flocked to the streets and alleys in unison. The streets were abuzz with lively noises and excitement. Silver flowed like water as it was spent, yet people had smiling faces all around. However, due to the northern conflict, prices were about ten to twenty percent higher than in previous years. Many households with limited spare money had no choice but to tighten their belts and complete their New Year’s shopping.

Compared to the bright and bustling Jing City, the atmosphere along the northern border, where warfare persisted, was undeniably more solemn. The relentless snowfall continued, the weather showed no signs of clearing, and the thick snow on the ground was detrimental to military operations. Both armies had temporarily ceased hostilities. The Great Chu’s forces, stationed within Yunxia City, which had been recaptured not long before, were preparing to properly celebrate the New Year before resuming their decisive battle against the Bai people.

After inspecting the key areas of the defense layout, Xiao Ruiyuan, clad in black and gold armor, returned to the temporary command post’s study, looking slightly weary. As he removed his armor, his dark, penetrating eyes swiftly scanned the room. Not seeing Maomao, his brow furrowed deeply.

Six whole days had passed...

"Knock, knock, knock—" His index finger tapped lightly, an unconscious gesture when Xiao Ruiyuan felt anxious. The last time he had acted this way was when he was seeking news of the Red Python.

Xiao Jiu, who always lurked in the shadows to protect his master, was too familiar with this action and couldn’t help feeling a bit worried. However, without his master’s command, he could not reveal himself.

Xiao Ruiyuan seemed to think of something and coldly spoke to the empty space, "Is there any news from Jing City?"

Xiao Jiu’s figure appeared noiselessly in the center of the study, like a ghost. He knelt on one knee, "Reporting to the master, there is no news from Jing City. However, two hours ago, someone infiltrated the study and has been captured by me, now waiting for the master’s disposition."

A flicker of contempt passed through Xiao Ruiyuan’s eyes, "Daring to sneak in broad daylight, quite a bold one. Did you get who instructed him and what he was here for?"

Xiao Jiu bowed his head, his voice heavy with the admission of guilt, "I am incompetent. I only managed to find out that he comes from Jing City, but not the person behind him or his intentions."

Xiao Ruiyuan’s eyebrows rose slightly. To withstand the various harsh methods employed by Xiao Jiu, the one giving orders must have paid a heavy price, making this matter all the more complicated, "Bring the man up, I shall interrogate him personally."

Xiao Jiu acknowledged the order and gestured oddly towards a hidden spot. Soon, a Hidden Guard dressed entirely in black, with only a pair of eyes showing, appeared in the study, dragging a man in plain clothes, covered in bloodstains.

The Hidden Guard loosened his grip, dropping the man on the ground before saluting Xiao Ruiyuan and then standing to one side, his eyes fixed intently on the spy collapsed on the floor, ready to prevent any sudden violence.

Perhaps due to the severity of his injuries, after being thrown onto the ground, the man’s body twitched slightly, and a suppressed groan emanated from his throat.

Xiao Ruiyuan’s gaze was somber as he observed the person on the ground, his mind running through numerous possibilities, only to dismiss them one by one.

As long as the Bai people’s army did not retreat, those in Jing City with malicious intentions would not dare to move against him. The timing of someone sent by those behind the scenes was indeed intriguing!

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